Guilty
by blindkitten
Summary: When a shady experiment goes wrong, the Avengers are called in to help return the situation to normal. A larger scheme lies behind it, however. Action, adventure, hidden villains and cavity inducing Bruce/Tony friendship and Tony/Pe all feature!
1. Chapter 1

_Hi, all! I know some of you have been looking forward to this story, so I made the prologue short as always – sort of testing the water, I guess? Anyway, do tell me what you think, and feel free to tell me things you'd like to see as I'm going along… I might not put it in, but it's always nice to see what your audience is looking for. _

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Avengers. I would be very, very rich if I did._

Nick Fury tried very hard not to hate people. If someone could get under your skin enough that you hated them, they had already gotten their first victory against you. Hatred skewed judgment, and that was very much a bad thing when you were in charge. Because of this, Fury tried to have a begrudging respect for even the most loathsome animals he dealt with.

An intense dislike, similar to disgust, however, was something he occasionally allowed himself, and at the moment, he was sure he had never been so happy to arrest someone. Given the slight rough handling of the scientists by the agents escorting them away, he couldn't have been the only one.

He looked over at Agent Hill, gesturing her over. "Tell the agents to be a bit gentler with these people," he whispered to her. A look of confusion, disgust and disappointment crossed her face, and he quickly explained. "When the Nazi generals were punished, there was extreme care put into the fact that they didn't suffer, even if they were executed. It's not about whether these people deserve to be beaten to a pulp, Agent; it's about whether we want to be the same animals as them."

She pulled herself together and nodded, turning sharply on her heels in that way that told Fury she wasn't sure if she agreed, but she knew a reasonable order when she heard it. He was glad to have her around – she was a little too official, of course, but she got things done and she did them well.

A car engine sounded in the distance, and he turned, squinting to block out the glare. He shook his head. Any car that managed to be shiny in the middle of the night would have to be Stark's. Quickly pulling himself into a march-like stride, he walked up to the car. "Glad you could make it on such short notice," he said, stifling a small smile when he realized that Dr. Banner was in the car as well. He knew that Banner had been spending almost all of his time in the Stark tower, and any connection between the team members was good news.

"Well, it's not like I have anything else to do in the middle of the night," Stark muttered. Banner squirmed, trying very hard not to laugh.

"Well, I hope we didn't wake you," Fury deadpanned, and Banner was forced to slam his hand over his mouth and brace elbow against the door to keep steady.

"Don't worry," he said a moment later, impressively calm once again. "No one ever sleeps at the tower." He gave a cheeky grin at Stark, making it very clear what Stark had been doing before Fury had called. Stark met his friend's gaze confidently, but someone who knew him well enough could see that he had sunk down in his seat just a little. They brought out the best in each other, Fury thought. "Anyway, what's the situation?"

Fury motioned for them to follow, then turned to walk back into the building. The slam of car doors confirmed that they were following. "A few hours ago, authorities responded to a warehouse fire. The warehouse was believed to be empty, but when the firemen entered…"

"They found out otherwise," Stark cut in, his attentive look contrasting with his sarcastic drawl.

Fury nodded. "Which is why we're here. Turns out, the warehouse was a cover for a very elaborate science lab."

"And I'm guessing these weren't government sanctioned experiments?" Banner asked.

"No. They were human experiments that went against every human rights law on Earth… probably on a lot of other worlds too. We're doing our best to do what we can for the victims of this situation, but that's not what you're here for." He led the way to a hidden elevator and beckoned for them to enter with him. He remained silent for the ride down.

The downstairs was better than when he had first been called here. The smoke had cleared out slightly and the first few rooms of stomach turning experiments had already been shipped to the nearest secure hospitals. The stench, however, remained, as a few reminders of the sort of things that had happened here – claw marks, shreds of clothing… Stark brushed a few fingers gently against Banner's elbow in a comforting gesture when he froze, looking at one of the rooms. An unspoken connection passed between them, and they continued after Fury.

He led the way to the hall where their problem lay. A large hole was torn in the wall, dark streaks spreading away from it, remnants of the fire that had been here. "This is where the fire started. One of the… experiments… escaped." He turned to face them. "While I'm not too keen on helping these people, this _experiment _is a two year old child… a very dangerous one. He's with his mother – she's sixteen, confused and frightened, and we're not sure if she can handle the situation. We need to find her and the child and make sure that they don't hurt anyone, including themselves."

It was more than obvious that both of them were on board.

_Review are love, yes? Yes._


	2. Chapter 2

_Sorry it's taken so long to write this, but here it is!_

"If you were a teen mother," Natasha started thoughtfully, leaning back in her chair as she flipped through her copy of the case file.

"That'll take a bit of imagination," Tony cut in. "Where's Thor?"

"On his way," Steve replied elbowing Tony in the ribs. Tony automatically slapped him back on the shoulder. Bruce looked up from his own reading and smiled. Tony and Steve, lately, had crafted a teasing, sibling-like relationship. Their constant bickering belied the closeness that had taken over the entire team. Sometimes, Bruce found it hard to imagine life without them. "Anyway, go on, Tash."

She placed the file on the table before her, sliding it aside, having waited patiently for Tony and Steve to be done. "What I'm saying is that reading her file, what I'm getting is a scared girl with a baby she probably sees as a monster, running from monsters. Where would she go? She's got no family, she's not from the area…"

"She'll be looking for shelter, anyone who will house her, feed her, understand her," Bruce said quietly. He struggled to remain neutral, to pretend that he was talking from a logical standpoint, not from personal experience. Still, he could feel everyone's eyes on him and Tony's presence moved perceptibly closer than before.

"Church," Clint mumbled suddenly, and the others took a moment took a moment to realize he had spoken. Though any of them would easily lay down their lives for Clint, his habit of crawling into a corner and observing made him easy to forget – Bruce envied him sometimes, because he had the feeling that he would be the same if everyone wasn't tiptoeing around the Hulk. Clint looked around, realizing that no one had followed. "Church. She's religious." He pointed at the baptism dates on her sheet. "If you believe, everyone's got a friend in Jesus, right?"

"Not to mention, if she's frightened of her own child, she'll be looking for redemption, right?" Natasha replied excitedly, standing. "I'll have an agent get us all the church locations nearby."

"Alright," Tony said. "Uh, what are we supposed to do in the meantime?"

"Occupy yourself," Natasha said with a smirk, pushing past Tony to get to the door. There was a small pause, then Tony turned to Bruce with a grin. Bruce was terrified of that grin, having been around Tony plenty while he was bored. It usually ended in fire. "We have a robot in the car!" Tony said excitedly, all but dragging Bruce out of the room and over to the car. While Tony rummaged eagerly in the trunk, Bruce settled into the backseat, turning so that he could look at Tony. He knew what this would end in. "You're not very subtle, you know," he said teasingly.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Tony mumbled, rounding the car and nudging Bruce further into the backseat to sit beside him. He avoided Bruce's face by going at a small, spider-like robot with a screwdriver. Bruce sighed and settled against the door, knowing that getting Tony to look at him was a losing battle.

"I'm alright, Tony," he sighed.

"Of course. Because you have no personal experience with human experimentation throwing lives off track, right?"

Bruce fumbled for a reply. No matter how much time he spent with Tony, Tony still managed to throw things in his face in a way that always threw him for a loop and left him unable respond. Since Pepper and JARVIS seemed to have the same problem, he ignored it and didn't say anything when Tony left him behind.

As if he was just trying to confuse Bruce, Tony put down the project and looked Bruce in the eyes, brown eyes earnest and serious. "Look. I know how easy it is to find your worst experiences in other people's lives." Bruce frowned at him, baffled, and Tony sighed in exasperation, continuing. "Therese people snatch some family-less pregnant girl and used to cultivate some monster. You think I don't instantly think of what it's like to be used because you're lost and alone and naïve?"

Bruce's stomach lurched in that funny way it always did when Tony was threatened. "You mean Obadiah?" he whispered involuntarily. Something about the way Pepper had filled him in on that part of Tony's life made it seem like a secret, even when he was talking to Tony. It was silly and irrational, but he couldn't help himself.

It was subtle, but Bruce noticed the tiny flinch at the name. Steve or Fury or probably even Natasha wouldn't have noticed it, but he did. He tried not to feel smug. "All I'm saying is that it's easy to connect," Tony said quickly, backpedaling. Bruce knew that Tony wasn't especially fond of sharing when something bothered him, and he was quick to show that the gesture hadn't gone unnoticed.

He placed a hand on Tony's shoulder, gently pressing his thumb into Tony's arm in a kind squeeze. "I know. Thanks," he said softly. Tony looked relieved, and there was a moment of comfortable silence. "It's nice to have someone around finally."

Tony twitched his nose and turned back to silently, which Bruce had learned to mean something like, "Me too" or "Same here." He smiled and leaned back, glancing at the stars. He could hear Tony fiddling with his work, and in the comfort of the backseat next to a friend (a luxury he hadn't had for so long) he couldn't help but fall asleep.

He woke to Tony's prodding. This was nothing new. Every time Tony made any kind of discovery, from clean energy to the fact that the Pac man Google logo had a permanent website, his first reaction was to roust Pepper and Bruce out of bed like a small child on Christmas morning shaking awake his parents. "I'm awake," Bruce mumbled, which was his impulse reaction to being woken like this. The quick jabbing into his ribs ceased, goal accomplished.

"We found her."

"You sure?" He rubbed his eyes sleepily.

"Oh yeah, we're sure. The door was torn away by something strong. The kid, probably."

Bruce shot up at that. Tony had already opened the door for him, but he still managed to catch his foot in the door jamb. Tony steadied him with one arm, making no other indication that he had even noticed the blunder. "Anyway," I think I've talked the team into letting you go talk to her. Alone, I mean. Thought you might be able to get through to her, you know?"

"Oh," Bruce said lamely, rubbing sleep out of his eyes as he tried to keep up with Tony as he walked. Tony had a quick stride, long legs, and was fully awake, which made the task a lot harder than it should have been.

"We'll be right outside, of course, in case something goes wrong. We'll be all suited up and ready to go so you can just say the word and we'll be right in there to help you with whatever you need, you know?" Tony was rambling, and Bruce cut him off by grabbing his elbow, turning him around.

"Thanks, Tony. I'll be fine." Tony nodded confidently, but his doubt shone in his eyes.

The door opened before them, and Steve interrupted them before Bruce could determine what exactly was bothering Tony and address it. "You ready, Bruce?" he asked, apparently oblivious to the conversation had been going on before this.

"Sure," Bruce said, following after Steve. He tossed a comforting smile at Tony over his shoulder, hoping that was enough.

"I'm gonna get my suit," Tony said as awkwardly as he could ever manage, departing with haste.

Bruce shook his head, lips twitching slightly. He followed Steve to a black Jeep, Clint already at the wheel. Clint smiled at him halfway encouragingly and halfway grimly when he slid into the passenger seat. "You up for this?"

"It's not like I can get hurt," Bruce replied, hiding his queasiness.

"I don't think that's what anyone's worried about," Clint murmured starting the car. Bruce nodded, a lot of things clicking all at once.

Steve patted the top of the door strongly. "Good luck, he said, and Bruce nodded. "And… Bruce?"

"Yeah?"

"Whatever happens today or whatever… I mean…" Steve stopped awkwardly. Bruce grinned, but let him continue. "What I'm trying to say is that you're not a monster."

"Beautiful, Steve," Clint said sarcastically.

Bruce elbowed him in the ribs. "Thanks." He paused, then added, "And… do me a favor?" Steve nodded, looking at him questioningly. "Tell Tony I promise not to run off to Mumbai or anything."

Steve chuckled at that. "I'm sure he'll be relieved to hear that."

-X-

The church they pulled up to was a few blocks away, early dawn light glinting from the windows. Bruce swallowed thickly. After the accident, he had visited a lot of churches for comfort and turned to multiple denominations, only to find that if there was a god out there, it wanted Bruce to deal with his own damn problems.

"Seems familiar, huh?" Clint's voice came from behind him, as though Clint had read his mind.

He turned, blinking owlishly for a moment. "I guess so," he managed finally. "I've been on the run for so long…"

Clint nodded. "Well, we're all here if you need us." It was a sentence so full of sentiment that Bruce feared he would choke up if he spoke. He saved himself by hurriedly getting out of the car and walking over to the church. Just as Tony had said, the door was now a pile of shrapnel scattered in a hole that was once the frame. He stepped carefully across the pile and in between the pews. There was a bent figure in one of the rows, dark hair covering her face. He knocked gently against the door frame, and she startled, whirling around.

He held up his hands in a gesture of peace. "Don't worry," he said. "I'm not here to hurt you."

_There we go!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Whew! Plenty of you have been asking for more and I'm just now getting an hour or so of free time for the first time this month, so… This will be short, as much as I can fit in in the time given to me by life._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel. I believe Disney does. And I am certainly not Disney._

"Well, I didn't expect your diversion to work," said a masked man to a blonde woman in a green dress, pulling open the door to the Stark tower.

"And I didn't expect your hacker to be this good, so let's call it even, eh?" she said with a glittering smile.

"He's a specialist and he's been reading up on his material."

"Still, Stark's encryption system is the best in the world. I never thought money would help."

Their mutually complimenting and humble speech was forced, like a ritual dance that was necessary rather than sincere. It was as though they were still feeling out what would gain the other's trust and what would throw them into dangerous waters. It was clear that it wasn't a mutually trusting partnership, but rather an efficient one. Still, it functioned, and that seemed to be enough.

"Now, where did you say Stark's bedroom was?"

-X-

Bruce calmly sidled up to the girl. "It's Marina, isn't it?" he asked softly, and she didn't move. There was something strange in her expression, something that he couldn't place but which made him extremely wary. "Don't worry, I'm here to help. I promise."

"Help with what?" she asked blankly.

He really had no answer to that. He'd hoped it would be obvious what to do, but there was hardly any world saving to do. This girl wasn't violent, the monster was nowhere to be seen. He was at a loss. "With… whatever," he managed slowly. "Whatever you need."

When she only stared at him, he slowly slid down the pew to sit more or less beside her. She watched him, something animal and raw in her eyes. "Have you ever lost a child?" she asked.

That took him by surprise. He wished Natasha was there. She seemed to always know what people were really saying when they said things. He didn't. He could get a feel for people after he watched them long enough, sure, but random, unpredictable actions always left him confused. He wondered if everyone was like that, and if he was just more honest about it. "No," he said lamely. "I don't have children" _I have a bit of an impediment there._

There was a very long silence after that. She looked at the altar at the end of the aisle. Bruce tried to comprehend what she was saying. Something was wrong with this picture, he knew, but he couldn't tell what. Finally, she stood. "I guess you want me to come with you, huh?" she said. She was very, very young, he noted when she faced him entirely.

"That… would be nice," he said quietly. This seemed too easy, and warning bells were going off in his head. Still, he wouldn't argue. He got up and led the way, wary of her every move. He was cautious as they walked into the street, Bruce holding up his hands to show everything was alright. Fury appeared from nowhere, ushered Marina into a black car and nodded a thank you to Bruce. Nothing happened.

"Well, that was boring," Tony said loudly behind him, probably to cover up his relief.

"Where's the kid?" Natasha asked, and Bruce tried to turn to face her. It took him a moment to find her, and he tried to pretend that he hadn't whirled around awkwardly for a few seconds. She took it in stride.

"Honestly? I think he's dead," Bruce said. Why else would she have asked?

Natasha's eyes narrowed. "Then how'd she get out?" she asked.

The pit in Bruce's gut only deepened.

-X-

It took him ridiculously long to notice, in retrospect. He'd been caught up in his own thoughts and he hadn't even registered the quiet. If Tony had been talking, he probably would have ignored it anyway. But he wasn't. He was silent and kept throwing quick glances at Bruce. Bruce waited a few minutes after noticing and then finally blurted, "What is it?"

"Nothing," Tony said quickly, in that tone that meant anything but.

Bruce's focus snapped onto Tony. "What?"

"Nothing."

"You're acting weird."

"Am not."

"Yes, you are."

"I'm _not_."

"So you always act like this?"

"Like what?"

"Edgy."

"I'm not…"

"Alright, fine," Bruce said quickly, knowing when to admit defeat. He slumped against the door, letting the sound of the car engine take over the car. He waited until Tony relaxed out of the defensive position that always came around when people worried about him. "Seriously, what?"

Tony groaned. "It's nothing!" he cried in frustration.

"You sure?" Bruce said, giving Tony a little leeway.

Tony stared at him for a long time, then finally sighed. Bruce was once again caught up in that sense of overwhelming privilege that he got when Tony or Pepper or JARVIS accepted him into their dynamic and trusted him more than they did anyone else. It made him feel like he belonged, for once. Belonged to them. "I just… it's after midnight and you're not in Mumbai." Bruce smirked at that. Mumbai had somehow become a keyword for "running away like hell."

"I did promise," Bruce said slowly.

"No, I mean…" Tony looked out the window uncomfortably. If Bruce didn't have good ears, he wouldn't have caught the next sentence. "Happy father's day."

Bruce blinked. There was no reaction that fit to that, so he reacted in the way Tony would. "I'm not that old."

Tony threw up one hand, the other one staying on the wheel. "I'm not calling you old."

"I'm _not _that old."

"_I'm not_…" Tony sighed and glared at him. "I'm not adopting you as a father or anything. I'm just saying you're… you're protective and responsible and you're here for me and you give me advice and… that's what this day is for, right? So… thanks."

Bruce nodded. It wasn't often that Tony was serious. He wasn't sure he'd ever seen Tony this serious. "You too," he managed past the lump in his throat.

_Aw. Fluff. Don't worry, there's more action coming!_


	4. Chapter 4

_I have gotten some amazing reviews! You guys are great! So sorry for leaving you hanging for so long, it's been a crazy couple of weeks! Well, ok, it still is, but I think I have, like… five minutes of free time, so I'm scribbling as much as I can. :3_

_Disclaimer: Just borrowing. I don't own anything, and I don't earn anything with these stories but happiness._

Bruce couldn't sleep that night. Things kept turning around in his mind. The girl, the lack of monster, the lack of any fight, his relationship with Tony…

It didn't take long for him to give up on sleeping and find himself wandering down the hall to the lab. As the door slid open, Tony looked up at him, acknowledging his presence quickly and then going back the beaker he'd been fiddling with. Bruce smiled slightly. Sometimes it seemed that Tony had to compensate for his loudness by being extra quiet, and it was ever so slightly adorable.

"Could sleep either?"

"No," Tony mumbled, sounding childish.

Bruce grabbed a chair and pulled it up beside Tony. "Today's job makes me nervous." He chuckled slightly. "I'm up all night because something was too easy."

"Easy hasn't exactly ended up well for us, has it?" Tony answered with a small smile, the strain in his voice ruining his attempt at sarcasm.

Bruce leaned closer, trying to survey his friend's face. "How about you? Why can't you sleep?"

Tony shrugged, rubbing at his eyes. "Nightmares."

"The usual ones?"

"Worse."

"Pepper?"

"Tried not to wake her. Hopefully she's still asleep."

Bruce didn't say anything. Sometimes, Tony just drove him crazy. "Why didn't you wake me?" When Tony shrugged, Bruce stood to put an arm around Tony. Tony put down his experiment and leaned his head exhaustedly against Bruce. "Hey," Bruce said quietly, giving Tony a small shake. "I don't mind staying up with you. Neither does Pepper."

Tony nodded, eyes fixed on the floor. Bruce smiled slightly bitterly. The more time he spent with Tony, the more he started thinking that Tony's confidence was all fake. Sometimes it seemed that Tony hated himself more than Bruce hated the Hulk. "Come on, you dolt, you should lay down." He pulled Tony to his feet and started steering him to the living room, where he could lay down.

As they passed the door to his room, Tony started, back pedaling. "No!" he cried, panicked. Bruce blinked at him, startled. Tony looked at him and shakily tried to regain his composure. "Not the sofa, alright? Just… not… not the living room."

Bruce, unsure of what to make of that, nodded slowly. "Is my room alright?"

Tony nodded, blinking rapidly. "Yeah, that's fine." When he didn't move, Bruce gently took his arm and pulled him into his room and into the bed. He pulled up a chair beside the bed so that he could sit beside Tony.

He put his hand on Tony's shoulder and gently rubbed his arm. "Sleep, alright? I'll be right here."

Tony nodded, pulling the covers over himself. Bruce leaned forward to tug the bunches out of them, then sat back. It took a while, but eventually, Tony fell asleep. Bruce rubbed at his eyes. He didn't want to fall asleep until he knew that Tony was alright. Generally, when Pepper was at home, she slept with Tony, which warded off most nightmares. It was unusual to find Tony up when Pepper was in the tower.

Bruce ruffled Tony's hair softly, smiling at his friend. He chuckled. "Happy Father's Day…" he mumbled, shaking his head. "Tony, you are a mystery."

It was five minutes in before Tony started tossing and turning, small moans escaping his lips. Bruce moved closer, leaning an elbow on the bed so that he could card his hand through Tony's hair. "Shh, shh, Tony, it's okay," he whispered. Tony only got more distressed, a broken, almost inaudible 'please' slipping from his whines.

Bruce laid a hand on Tony's chest, the reactor hard against his palm. The gesture was meant to be placating, but Tony shot up, his fist narrowly missing Bruce's face. As calmly as possible, Bruce leaned away, giving Tony safe room. He held up his hands to show he was not an enemy. Tony's eyes were wide and slightly feverish, and Bruce wasn't sure if he recognized him. "Whoa there," he joked.

Tony blinked at him, waking up fully. "What…?" he asked, looking around.

"That was quite a nightmare."

Guilt suddenly crossed Tony's face. "Sorry."

Bruce smiled at that, then shrugged. "It's alright. You were asleep."

Tony nodded, rubbing a palm across his eyes. "Yeah. I… uh…" He struggled up into a sitting position, hanging his legs over the side of the bed.

Bruce stood and sat beside Tony, unsure of where the boundaries were at the moment. "If you don't want to talk about it, it's alright. I've done enough lashing out in my life, I can understand." He almost put a hand on Tony's shoulder, but he didn't want to startle his friend again.

To his surprise, Tony pushed one arm quickly under Bruce's and hugged him. Not in the usual, quick, friendly hugs that Tony tended to do, but clinging to him for dear life, like a five year old to his mother's leg. This close, Bruce could feel Tony shaking. "_Really_ some nightmare, then?" he said quietly, returning the hug and holding Tony close. He felt Tony nod. "Have they ever been this bad?"

"No," Tony said, a note of fear in his voice.

"You haven't been more stressful lately, have you? Any changes in daily routine?"

Tony chuckled at that. "What routine?" Bruce smiled, glad Tony's sense of humor was coming back. He didn't want to show it, but Tony's behavior was scaring him. Tony sighed, loosening his grip on Bruce. "I… I was worried something would happen today that would remind you of what a monster you think you are and you'd leave." He paused slightly, then added, "Me. Leave me."

"I'm not going to, Tony."

"I know. I was just scared."

Bruce didn't know what to say. He'd never felt this need before in his life. He scrambled to find something, because he knew it couldn't be easy for Tony to tell him these things, and he didn't want his friend to go unrewarded. "At this point, I'd miss you just as much as you'd miss me," he said lamely.

Tony laughed once. "I should probably try sleeping again, huh?" he asked sheepishly.

"Yeah, you should," Bruce said. Looking at Tony, though, that pit in his stomach that had been forming since before his talk with Marina deepened. Tony pulled away and looked at him. It was obvious that Tony suspected just as much as Bruce that fear of abandonment wasn't what was keeping him up tonight. Bruce forced a smile. "I'll be right here."

_What's really causing those nightmares? Where's the missing monster? Why was the job so easy? Find out the next time I have time to breathe! :D And review!_


	5. Chapter 5

_Wow. You guys are… awesome. Utterly, totally awesome. Some of the reviews I have gotten just bring tears to my eyes. Of joy, of course. I really hope you enjoy the next chapter! _

Bruce woke to find himself slumped over the back of the chair, every bone in his body aching. As he peeled away his face from the fabric of the chair, he felt the blanket draped over his shoulders slid down. He blinked sleepily and lifted it to his face, smiling. He looked down at the empty bed in front of him and knew that Tony must have wrapped him up in his blanket when he woke.

He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and stood, stretching as he did so. He walked downstairs to the kitchen, where Pepper was already putting together fruit for a yogurt – what she had for breakfast every day. Bruce picked up the bananas as he walked in, handing it to her as she finished with the strawberries. He smirked to himself as he realize how familiar he was with their daily routine.

Pepper smiled at him warming, then frowned. "Did tony go to you last night?"

Bruce shook his head, rooting in the fridge for anything to eat. "No. I found him in the lab. He said the nightmares are worse than usual… can you think of any reason?"

"No," Pepper replied, and Bruce could hear the clinking of her spoon and the scraping of her chair. "He seemed a little off before we went to bed, but I don't know." Bruce could practically feel her gaze boring into his back. "Did you two talk about something before you came home last night?"

Bruce sighed, grabbing the egg carton. "He wished me Happy Father's day," he said, turning. Pepper put a hand under her chin, a small smile gracing her face. "Listen, is there any reason Tony would be afraid of the sofa?" he blurted. Pepper frowned, and he quickly went on. "Or being… woken? I don't know. I put a hand on his chest and he almost punched me."

Realization passed over Pepper's face. "Oh. Wow. I didn't know he still had nightmares about…" she paused, stopping to stare at her yogurt pensively. "Obadiah. He… um… tried to take the reactor while Tony was… sitting on the sofa. I've seen the footage."

"Oh," Bruce said lamely. There was a long silence while Bruce mulled that over.

"You know, he does trust you," Pepper said quietly, reaching over to take his hand in hers. Her eyes were soft and earnest. "Fear doesn't always have to be logical."

He nodded, then cleared his throat awkwardly. "So… where is Tony?"

"He babbled something unintelligible about going into S.H.I.E.L.D. I think he likes it when everyone's in town."

Bruce smiled. "I think he likes bugging Steve."

Pepper shrugged and laughed. "Probably."

-X-

Gods didn't have headaches, but if they did, Thor would have one. The travel between worlds was disorienting and he had been dealing with Loki for days now. As much as he loved his brother, it was a struggle not to fall into his lies – as much as he wanted to believe some of them, he knew that Loki would be a long time coming around, if ever. Though he had been informed by Clint that the mission was a "bust," he thought he would stay on Midgard, see his friends and perhaps visit with Jane.

As he walked down the hall, he smiled at that thought. It had been a few weeks since he had seen the beautiful scientist. He rounded the corner, almost bumping into Tony, who had been leaning against the wall. Tony flailed, startled to see Thor. Thor grabbed his arm gently and steadied him. There was something about Tony that worried him. "Stark, are you unwell?" he asked.

Tony shook his head, steadying him. "Just needed to get away," he said cheerfully.

"You seem tired," Thor pressed. He was not stupid – he knew that the tone Tony was using could only be fake. No one was that cheery about something so dull as being well.

Tony gave him an unreadable look. "I just… didn't sleep well last night," he said, pushing away from the wall. "It's nothing." He stepped forward once before all but collapsing, supported only by Thor's quick hand beneath his arm.

"You are ill," Thor stated, not allowing for argument.

Tony smiled dizzily at him. "You know, Shakespeare," he said, strong bravado covering the quiver in his voice. "I think you might just be right."

Despite his worry for his comrade, Thor had to smile at Tony's antics. "Sit. I will find Dr. Banner." He, like everyone else, had noticed the bond that was forming between the two scientists. It was rare to see either of them at S.H.I.E.L.D. without the other anymore.

Tony looked up, panic barely hidden in his eyes, hand clamping on Thor's. Thor couldn't gauge properly if it was a strong hold for a human – it was barely anything for a god. "I'd rather not be alone," Tony said, a little too calm. He was shaking slightly now.

The god didn't even had to think before he nodded. "Very well," he said, smirking when he realized that Tony had ignored his request to sit, apparently forgetting that his knees were about to give. He certainly didn't give up easy, and that was something Thor could respect. "Will you sit?"he asked, gently this time, something he had learned mostly from Jane.

His friend blinked at him, as though just remembering that he didn't feel well. He sat down, too quickly, and Thor was careful to steady him, sitting down beside him. He could tell that something was on the genius' mind that he was trying to hide from him. "Stark," he said, trying to quiet. Apparently, booming was a little intimidating for humans. "I am your friend. You may confide in me."

Tony looked at him, face confident and eyes tentative, then nodded. "I… have you ever been so close to everything you want… and you can't have it. Because… because you're afraid or… or unworthy?"

Thor thought instantly about the Mjolnir and nodded. "I have." He tried to scan Tony's face for some indicator of what Tony was thinking about, but the genius had remarkable control over his face, especially turned away so that his eyes weren't visible.

Tony shrugged, but didn't look at Thor. "Once bitten, twice shy, I guess," he joked, and Thor nodded in understanding. He had heard the stories and he could put things together. More so, he knew the feeling. He leaned forward, putting a hand on Tony's shoulder. He looked up, brown eyes slightly misty, rawer than Thor would have thought possible of the arrogant billionaire. He smiled slightly at that – there was something else he had in common with the friend.

"I know how you feel," he said plainly.

Tony made the leaps, just as Thor had, then nodded, shoulders slumping slightly. His poker face dropped slightly before he could catch it. Thor gave him a little shake and smiled. "Are you feeling well enough to find the others?"

His friend nodded, but still leaned on Thor to get up. It was obvious that although he had gotten some things off his chest, something was seriously wrong. Still, he did nothing but decide that he would relay his concern to Bruce – he, of all of them, was the most likely to achieve something with Tony. He helped his friend silently to the room where Steve and Clint were talking and watch Tony sit down and join the conversation.

He hoped Tony would be alright.

_Ugh. This took SUCH a long time. Sorry? Ah well. Better late than never, huh? I wrote most of this while watching Thor and even though I am thoroughly in love with our dearest science bros, Thor is quite awesome, too. Also, he has some qualities that I will use to my own devious plans that are (very) slowly unfolding. Also, kudos to _smergrl3495, _who is 50% correct on the villains. There are also plenty of other people with some AWESOME insights! You're all cool, though! I will try to update sooner this time, it's slightly a calmer time now!_

_Review! :D_


	6. Chapter 6

_Well, yeesh. It's been a while. I've been up to my neck in work, and I really, really haven't had time to update this story… I even lost track of planning it. But anyway, I'm finally, finally back (ish) and here's another chapter!_

_Disclaimer: If I owned this, I could probably spend more time with it. But I don't, so I have to battle dragons for free time._

Steve still didn't trust TVs. Or, well, newer TVs. It just made him a little jittery that you could capture every little detail on film, as though you were right next to the goings-on. Still, he felt even worse about sitting in a silent apartment, listening to noises that were sort of familiar and sort of not – honking of cars and then purrs of engines that were just… different.

Which was why he was here, Friday night, watching some dumb show he barely understood and eating take-out food which Clint and Natasha had dropped off for him before they went to see a movie. And apparently, though Steve had been quite suspicious of it, that wasn't a cover story. They were actually going to see an actual movie.

If that didn't make Steve feel lonely, he didn't know what would.

When a knock sounded at the door, he almost spilled soda all over the table. He tried not to seem too eager as he hurried to answer it. What he wasn't expecting, though, was to find Tony Stark on his door step, half asleep and drenched with rain. He was so surprised, he didn't invite the billionaire in and sit him down like he probably should have, he just stared.

Tony had been feeling sick all day. That much was obvious just from how unsteady he'd been on his feet. Everyone had started watching him with a close eye, and everyone could tell that Bruce was worried sick.

Even though Steve counted Tony as one of his friends at this point, there was always a shadow of dislike between him and Tony. Certainly, he'd never thought Tony would come to him if he was sick, not when he had Bruce and Pepper to curl up with in his tower. Tony sniffed at him. "Can I come in, by any chance?" he asked, somewhere between miserable and whiny.

"Oh," Steve said. "Right. Yeah." A clap of thunder startled him into motion and he gestured Tony inside, steadying him with one arm when the genius tripped stumbled. Steve felt the good-natured worry from earlier in the day double in his gut. "Tony, what's wrong?"

As an answer, Tony sneezed. "Just… wanted to visit, you know?" he said, sort of sarcastically.

"Uh huh," Steve said, pushing Tony into one of the kitchen chairs. He looked around the kitchen. "I'd… uh… make you some tea, but…" He looked at Tony. "I can't use anything in this kitchen."

Tony laughed uncharacteristically softly. "Here," he said, standing. "Tell me they at least _told _you about the microwave."

"I think so," Steve mumbled, doing what little he could and filling a mug with water. Tony took it and put it into the microwave. He walked Steve patiently through the steps. Steve watched with immense relief, but nonetheless, he knew that if Tony wasn't putting up his arrogant bluff, something was wrong. He kept his mouth shut and waited.

Tony was quiet, but his finger was tapping impatiently on the counter. Steve was so intent in watching his friend for any hint of what was wrong that he nearly jumped out of his skin when the microwave started beeping loudly. Tony stifled a grin, and Steve glared at him. "Shut up."

Tony shook his head, smirking gently. He pulled the steaming cup of water from the microwave, and Steve took it quickly from his shaking hands before he dropped it on himself. "Sometimes, I think I forget how hard this all must be for you," Tony said quietly.

Steve almost dropped the mug himself, but he composed himself quickly. "Well, yeah," he said, and, looking at Tony, he suddenly got the tight feeling he always got in his chest when he realized that _this was Howard's kid._

The billionaire gave him an unreadable look, then blurted, "What was my dad like?" He suddenly looked so childish and ashamed of having asked the question that Steve just wanted to cross the room and pull his friend into a hug.

Instead, he shrugged. "I'm sure you knew him better than I did," he said lamely, thinking of fondue.

Tony shook his head, stumbling over to the nearest chair and sinking down. "I think we had… two real conversations. And one was about how disappointed he was because I got into a fight in school."

Steve didn't know what to say to that, so he finished the tea and handed it over to Tony, sitting across from him. His friend was shivering gently, dark bruises under his eyes. "How long has it been since you last slept?" he asked.

"Three days," Tony muttered. "I was doing stuff… and then these nightmares started." He rubbed at his eyes, sipping from the tea as much as his shaking hands would let him without dumping it all on himself.

"Three…" Steve managed, before trailing off and maintaining calm. "What nightmares?" Tony just shrugged, and Steve sighed. It was foolish to expect something for nothing. "He was a lot like you."

Tony's head snapped up, his brown eyes focused on Steve. Steve had never seen a sharper gaze. He smiled gently. "Except I think you're smarter." Tony blinked at him, baffled. "And you're a lot more sarcastic. And… I don't know." Steve sighed. "I don't think Howard ever struggled for anything in his life. When I first met you, I think I thought the same, and I didn't get why you were so confrontational and arrogant."

Tony smiled slightly sadly. "You don't think so now?"

"I do. But… I get it. You've had bad times and it's how you deal with things. It's what makes you one of us, I guess."

Tony rubbed at his eye sleepily. Steve watched him patiently. Finally, Tony sighed in defeat. "I don't know. Bruce and I have been really… close lately. And… I mean, I've been looking for father figures since I was five." He grinned slightly. "I was so in love with my second grade teacher that when he sent me to the principal's office for falling asleep in class I started crying. The poor guy had to have a talk with my parents and I still don't know what happened."

Steve laughed quietly. He couldn't imagine Tony Stark being a sensitive child. Though, when he really looked at Tony, he could. _Bruce probably understands that weird double personality Tony has, _he thought, and he suddenly felt extremely lonely again.

"Anyway, I've always had this thing. And it's always ended up in a bit of a crash and burn thing. I mean, I guess when you want something enough, you start ignoring the things that stand in your way." Tony sighed, shoving the now empty mug across the table. "And now… with Bruce, I'm scared I'm making the same mistakes. Again. And then these nightmares just snatch up that fear and…" He shrugged. Steve understood. Nightmares always made things seem scarier than they were.

"Tony, the Hulk wouldn't even hurt you, much less Bruce. I think you're as much family to him as he is to you."

Tony nodded, sinking his head into his hands. "I know," he said faintly.

Steve's stomach rolled with worry. "I'm going to call Bruce," he said, and Tony nodded again, standing to help him.

Steve could barely catch his friend as the billionaire's knees gave out.

_DUN DUN DUN. What's going to happen next? Will I ever finish this story in one life time? Are you reviewers awesome for sticking with me when I've been such a terrible, not updating person? Why yes, yes you are._


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